Tennis Elbow Causing You Pain? PRP is NOT the Solution Study Shows

Friday, July 18th, 2014 at
2:31 PM

At NMPI, we frequently see patients in our office with pain in their elbow. Most often it’s tennis players who complain of persistent pain in the forearm as the result of overuse from racquet sports but other sports and non-athletic activities can also put you at risk for this condition known as Tennis Elbow (TE), or lateral epicondylitis. Strain related changes in the tendons that join the forearm muscles to the outside of the elbow can be very painful.

TE is commonly diagnosed by producing pain when pressing on the tendons that attach to the lateral epicondyle along with pain when the wrist is pulled upward (dorsiflexion) against resistance. TE is generally self-limiting but in some patients it may take more than a year to get better with no treatment. When the pain and tenderness persist various treatments have been tried.

Here’s what works:

In a 2010 paper, an exercise treatment was found to be very effective in relieving TE pain and tenderness.

At NMPI, we treat these tender muscles successfully with a laser or with muscle injections.

Here’s what doesn’t work:

Steroids are not recommended since there is no inflammation in TE and steroids can actually damage the tendon.

PRP for tennis elbow has been found to not be effective

Newer treatments are often not better. It is always best to first treat any lasting pain problem with the least invasive, safest, and least expensive interventions. This is called the step-care model and the approach you will receive at the Norman Marcus Pain Institute.